Overhead support for milers



Nov. 23, 1948. H. a. BABSON OVERHEAD SUPPORT FOR MILKERS :5 Sheets -Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 50, 1943 All f I Nov. 23, 1948.

Filed Aug. 30, 1943 H. B. BABSCN OVERHEAD SUPPORT FOR MILKERS.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Nov. 23, 1948 OVERHEAD surron'r FOR MILKERS Henry B. Babson, Chicago, 111., assignor to Babson Bros. 00., a corporation of Illinois Application August 30, 1943, Serial No. 500,509

11 Claims.

This invention relates to an overhead support for a milker, and more particularly to improved means for supporting a suspended milker in operative position beneath a cow.

One feature of this invention is that it provides improved supporting means particularly designed for supporting a suspended milker in operative position beneath a cow in a parlor stall; another feature of this invention is that it permits convenient adjustment, from one side of the stall, of the position of the milker in the stall, and the amount of forward pull on the milker when it is milking; still another feature of this invention is that the supporting means does not interfere with the entrance and exit of the cow from the parlor stall; yet another feature of this invention is that the carrying member and milker may be conveniently placed beneath the cow in an appropriate vertical position; and a further feature of this invention is the provision of improved adjustable connecting means at each end of the carrying member. ()ther features and advantages of this-invention will be apparent from the following specification and the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a parlor "stall having one embodiment of my improved supporting apparatus associated therewith; Figure 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the stall, along the line 2-4 of Figure 3 Figure Sis a fragmentary sectional view along the line 3-3 oi Figue 2; Figure 4a is a partial top view of a: parlor stallequipped with another form of my overhead supporting apparatus; andFigure 5 is a partial side elevational view of the upper end of the stall and of the supporting apparatus.

Suspended milkers have a number of advantages over other types of machines for milking cows, and a large proportion of the milkers now being commercially sold are of the suspended type. Such a milker comprises, as itslprincipal parts, a bucket, a lid, a pulsator, fourteat cups, and the rubber infiations and tubesnecessary to render the combination operative; and the entire combination is suspended beneath the. belly of the cow, slightly forward and below the udder to which the teat cups are connected. Sucha milker will not be described more fully here since it is well known and in commercial use. Refer-- ence may be had to McCornack Patent No. 1,859,213 of May 17, 1932, and to other issued patents, for a more complete description of such suspended milkers and of the way in which they are conventionally supported,

Such milkers are, generally supported beneath the cow by an arrangement which comprises a surcingle strap thrown across the backfof the cow and having its ends hanging down on each side of the cow, and a carrying member in the form of a spring steel rod extending across from one side to the other beneath the belly of the cow. As explained in the above-mentioned patent, it is desirable to push the top of the strap somewhat forward on the cows back, and to have the lower ends of the surcingle and the carrying member relatively free to move, so that there is a forward as well as downward pull upon the teats during milking, accompanied by a dynamic or surging action providing an intermittent down-' ward and forward pull and tug on the teats.

Such a suspension has to be thrown over the back of each cow which is milked, however, and slid around and back and forth to get the proper position for milking. When the cows are brought from their regular stalls to parlor stalls, it isdesirable to avoid the necessity of putting a surcingle on and off each cow as it is milked. Means particularly designed for supporting a suspended rnilker in operative position in a parlor stall is shown in my earlier Patent No. 2,136,228, which issued November 8, 1938; but such a support comprises a swinging arm extending in from one side of the stall.

I have more recently devised and am here disclosing and claiming an overhead support for a milker, particularly designed for use with a parlor stall, this overhead support having certain advantages overprevious supporting arrangements. In general, this new overhead supporting arrangement comprises supporting means mounted on the top of a parlor stall and movable longitudinally thereof, this means being longitudinally movable from one side of the stall and having suspension elements depending therefrom on each side of the cow and carrying the ends of a carrying member extending beneath the belly of the cow and adapted to have the milker hooked thereon.

Referring now more particularly to the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3,, a parlor stall is shown as comprising four main corner posts lllad connected by longitudinal and transverse rod members, the two upper longitudinal rod members being hereidentified as Ila and Ill). The back end of the stall is provided with a gate l2 adapted to be swung opento permit the cow to enter the stall; and a gate l3 in the forward portion of the stall is adapted to be opened to permitthe cow to leave the stall after milking. stanchion members Ma and; lib-are provided, the stanchion member 14b being mounted on and movable with the gate l3. After one cow has been let out of the stall, the gate I2 is opened and the next cow driven in until her neck is in juxtaposition with the stanchion member Illa whereupon the gate I3 is closed and locked by any appropriate means, the cow then being held in desired position by the stanchion members. The front end of the stall is generally provided with a feed trough accessible to the cow when she is held by the stanchion members.

In order to support the suspended milker in operative position beneath the cow, supporting means extends across the top of the stall, this being shown as comprising the beam member l5 resting on the top members Ho and Nb of the stall. Annular elements I6 and I1, which may be formed of strap iron, encircle the member l5 near each side of the stall, these carrying depending elements l8 and 19 here shown as rope, steel cable, or other flexible means of generally circular cross section. Near the lower ends, each of these dependin elements is provided with a plurality of spaced supporting members identified as l8a,d and l9ad, these being here shown as steel balls spaced about two inches apart. A carrying member 20, in the form of a steel rod with a central depression 20a, into which the handle of the milker is hooked, extends across beneath the belly of the cow. This carrying member is provided With hook portions 20b and 200 at its ends, these being adapted to be hooked around the rope or cable just over one of the supporting members or balls.

The beam or supporting member I5 is provided with manual operating means at one end, these being here shown as the spokes 2| a-d, so that the member I 5 may be moved longitudinally of the stall (and thus of the cow) by turning it. In order to maintain the member IS in the desired position on top of the stall members I la and l lb, and in order to ensure equal movement of both ends of the member upon rotation of the end carrying the spokes, maintaining means is provided. This is shown as comprising ropes 22 and 23; Each of these ropes is fastened at the back end of the stall, extends along generally parallel to one of the upper longitudinal rod members (as the rod member Ila), is looped around the supporting member l5, and then extends to and is fastened at the front end of the stall. Rotation of the member I5 can thus be efiected from one side of the stall by use of the spokes 2|, and synchronized forward or backward movement of the suspension elements l8 and I9 will result. The transverse member [5 is preferably polygonal in shape, being here shown as square, to prevent undesired movement after it has been adjusted to the proper position. Turning the member l5 until one of its fiat sides is in engagement with the upper stall members Ha and Nb provides enough resistance to backward movement to keep the member I5 from moving during the milking operation.

When a cow is being brought into the stall and the milker and the carrying member 20 are removed therefrom, the cow is driven in until her neck is positioned between and engaged by the stanchion members M, as previously described. The operator (who stands on the same side of the stall as the spokes 2|) then reaches under the cow with the carrying member 29, hooking the'far end into an appropriate vertical position on the suspension element l9, and then booking the near end similarly on the suspension element 18. This can be very quickly and easily done, as the carrying member 20 is rigid and there is no difficulty in slipping the hook end 260 around the suspension element I9 immediately above one of the balls. As may be best seen in Figure 2, the hooked ends of the carrying member have a slight angle so that after they are once hooked in they tend to remain in place. The milker is then hung on the carrying member and properly positioned just in front of the udder through forward or backward movement of the member l5 by use of the handles 2|. When the teat cups have been slipped up over the teats and the milker is operating, the member It; may be further adjusted forward or back to secure the desired amount of forward pull during the milking operation. A representative position of the parts, during milking, is shown in dotted lines in Figure l, the member 15 preferably being held forward of the position of the carrying member 20 when the milker is connected to the teats, so that the suspension elements l8 and I9 assume a definite angle, as shown, providing a forward ;pull on the milker. The provision of the supporting members I 8ad and l9a-d, in combination with the hooked ends of the carrying member 2!], enables not only convenient and quick placement of the carrying member in operative position but also easy and quick vertical adjustment of the position of the milker to secure the best milking operation on diiierent cows.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 4 and 5, only part of theparlor stall is shown, the stall being otherwise similar to that shown in Figure 1 In this case the upper longitudinal rod members are identified as Ma and MD, these being again supported by corner posts 40a, 4011, etc. Immediately beneath the longitudinal members Ma, and M19, and parallel to them, are threaded shaft members 420. and 421). At the back end of the stall these shaft members make bevel gear connection with a cross shaft 43 provided with a crank handle 44 at one end, so that the threaded shafts 42a and 42b are similarly rotated from one side of the stall by operation of the crank handle. Mounted on each of the shafts 42a and 422) are supporting means in the form of nuts here identified as 450, and 45b, these making threaded connection with the shafts 42a and 42b. These nuts have upwardly extending portions extending on each side of the longitudinal rods 41a and 4| b, these rods serving as guides permitting longitudinal but preventing rotational movement of the nuts. Accordingly, operation of the crank handle 44, by rotating the shafts 42a. and 42b, efiects simultaneous longitudinal movement of the nuts 45a and 45b. The pitch of the thread on the shafts 42a and 42b is preferably small enough to prevent undesired movement of the supporting means 45a and 4%, so that they remain in the position to which they are adjusted even though there is a considerable component of backward pull exerted on them during milking.

The supporting means 45a and 45b have depending from them suspension elements, as the element 46, which are similar to the suspension elements 18 and I9 more fully shown and described earlier; and the suspension elements in this latter form of my invention are again provided with spaced supporting members neartheir bottoms adapted to be engaged by hook ends on the carrying member4l adapted to extend beneath the belly of the cow.

While I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications.

acqgeoo Changes, therefore, in the'construction and arrangement may be made without departingirom the spirit andscope. of the invention as disclosed in the appended claims.

Iclaim: i i '2' 1. Apparatus for supporting a suspended milker from above a cow, including: astall adapted to receive the cow; sup-porting means mounted on the top of the stall andmovable longitudinally thereof, this means comp-rising a member extending across the top of the stall and providediwith manual operating means onwone end; meansfor maintaining the supporting means in desired relation with the top of the stall; suspension elements depending from the supporting means at each side of the cow; and a carrying member extending beneaththe cow, this member being carried by said elements and being adapted to carry the milker.

2. Apparatus of the character claimed in claim 1, wherein the supporting means is a polygonal member.

3. Apparatus for supporting a suspended milk er in desired relation to a cow, including: a carrying member extending beneath the cow and adapted to carry the milker, said carrying memher being rigid whereby it can be manipulated at both ends from one end only; and separate suspension means depending at each side of the cow and connected to the ends of the carrying member, each of said two connections being adjustable for connection at different vertical positions of the suspension means.

4. Apparatus for sup-porting a suspended milker in desired relation to a cow, including: a carrying member extending beneath the cow and adapted to carry the milker; and separate suspension means depending at each side of and free of the cow and connected to the ends of the carrying member, the suspension means being provided, at both sides of the cow, with a plurality of spaced supporting members, and the cooperating end of the carrying member being provided with hook means adapted to engage any one of said supporting members, said carrying member being rigid whereby it can be manipulated at both ends from one end only and be selectively connected at difierent vertical positions of the suspension means.

5. Apparatus for supporting a suspended milker from above a cow, including: supporting means located above and free of the cow; suspension elements depending from the supporting means at each side-of the cow, each element being provided, near its lower end, with a plurality of spaced supporting members; and a carrying member extending beneath the cow and adapted to carry the milker, each end of the carrying member being provided with hook means adapted to engage any one of said supporting members, said carrying member being rigid whereby it can be manipulated at bath ends from one end only.

6. Apparatus for supporting a suspended milker from above a cow, including: supporting means located above the cow; suspension elements depending from the supporting means at each side of the cow, said suspension elements being flexible and having a generally circular cross section, each element being provided, near its lower end, with a plurality of spaced supporting mem bers in the form of balls; and a, carrying member extending beneath the cow and adapted to carry the milker, each end of the carrying member being provided with hook means adapted to engage any one of said supporting members.

- Fla-Apparatus for supporting a suspended milker indesired relation to a cow, including: a carrying member extending'beneath the cow and adapted to carry the. milker; and separate suspension means depending at each side of the, cow and connected to the ends of the carrying member, the suspension means being provided, at at least one side of the cow, witha plurality of spaced supporting ball-members and the cooperating end of the carrying member being provided with hook means adapted to engage any one of said supporting members.

8. Apparatus for supporting a suspended milker irom abovea cow, including: a stall adapted to receive the cow; separate supporting means mounted on each side of the stall and movable longitudinally thereof; means operable from one side of the stall for efiecting simultaneous longitudinal movement of the supporting means, this means comprising horizontal shaft members on each side of the stall making threaded engagement with the supporting means; suspension elements depending from the supporting means at each side of the cow; and a carrying member extending beneath the cow, this member being carried by said elements and being adapted to carry the milker. V

9. Apparatus for supporting a suspended milker from above a cow, including a cow-receiving stall having along each of its sides at the top a longitudinally extending rod member; supporting means comprising a cross-member extending across the top of the stall and movably mounted on said rod members for longitudinal movement therealong; means for moving said cross-member along said rod members; suspension elements depending from the supporting means at each side of the cow; and a carrying member extending beneath the cow, this last mentioned member being carried by said suspension elements and being adapted to carry the milker, each suspension element being provided with a plurality of spaced means for engaging the cooperating end of the carrying member, and said apparatus being provided with means for insuring equal movement of the ends of the cross-member along said rod members.

10. Apparatus for supporting a suspended milker, including: a stall adapted to receive a cow; supporting means mounted at the top of the stall and movable longitudinally thereof; suspension elements immovably connected to the supporting means and depending therefrom at each side of the cow; operating mechanism operable from one side of the stall for moving the supporting means for effecting simultaneous longitudinal movement of the suspension elements; and a rigid carrying member extending transversely of the stall beneath the cow, this member being carried by said elements and being adapted to carry the milker.

11. Apparatus for supporting a suspended milker, including: a stall adapted to receive a cow; supporting means mounted at the top of the stall and movable longitudinally thereof; suspension elements immovably connected to the supporting means and depending therefrom at each side of the cow; operating mechanism operable from one side of the stall for moving the supporting means for effecting simultaneous longitudinal movement of the suspension elements; and a rigid carrying member extending transversely of the stall beneath the cow, this member being carried by said elements and being adapted to carry the milker, at least one end of the carrying member being readily removably connected to REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the fileof this patent:

I UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 669,847 McDer-mott Mar. 12, 1901 Number Number Name Date Hutton Sept. 29, 1903 Shephard May 21, 1907 Grofi Feb. 4, 1908 Goldstraw Sept. 10, 1912 German Jan. 28, 1913 McCornack May 17, 1932 Babson et a1 Nov. 8, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France Feb. 19, 1929 

